Fonzie | |
---|---|
First appearance | "All the Way" (1974) |
Last appearance | "Passages Part 2" (1984) |
Portrayed by | Henry Winkler |
In-universe information | |
Alias | "Fonzie" "The Fonz" |
Occupation | Mechanic, co-owner of Arnold's Drive-In, high school teacher |
Affiliation | Republican |
Family |
|
Children | Danny Corrigan Jr. (adoptive son) |
Relatives |
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Nationality | American |
Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli, better known as "Fonzie" or "The Fonz", is a fictional character played by Henry Winkler in the American sitcom Happy Days (1974–1984). He was originally a secondary character, but was soon positioned as a lead character when he began surpassing the other characters in popularity. The Fonzie character was so popular that in the second season producers considered renaming the show to "Fonzie's Happy Days."[1] Fonzie was seen by many as the epitome of coolness and a sex symbol.[2][3][4][5]
Happy Days producer and writer Bob Brunner created both Arthur Fonzarelli's "Fonzie" nickname, and the invented put-down, "Sit on it".[6][7][8] The character was a stereotypical greaser who was frequently seen on his motorcycle, wore a leather jacket, and typified the essence of cool, in contrast to his circle of friends.
On November 8, 1980, Hanna-Barbera Productions and Paramount Television produced the ABC Saturday morning The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang animated series during the Saturday morning schedule on ABC.
Fonzie is one of only two characters (along with Howard Cunningham) to appear in all 255 episodes of the series.